This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

Briony Glassco to replace Chris Bolton as TDSB trustee

A parent who has served on a number of school board advisory committees has been appointed Ward 10’s interim trustee following the abrupt resignation of Chris Bolton as board chair and trustee in June.

Briony Glassco will serve as Ward 10 trustee until Nov. 30. She has no plans to run for trustee in the upcoming election.

A parent who has served on a number of Toronto District School Board advisory committees has been appointed Ward 10’s interim trustee following the abrupt resignation of Chris Bolton as board chair and trustee in June.

Briony Glassco will serve as trustee until Nov. 30. The actress and mother of three teens, all of whom had attended TDSB schools, has no plans to run for trustee in the upcoming election.

“I feel very fortunate to be given the chance to do it for four months,” Glassco said. “I thought it was important we have a steady placeholder for the ward.

“I felt it was important that someone who knew the issues and was an active member of the community be involved and take over as interim trustee.”

Ward 10, Trinity-Spadina, has an active parent community and Glassco beat out a number of applicants for the short-term gig.

Article Continued Below

She will be sworn in later this week and is eager to start. “I’m very much at the beginning and I have a steep learning curve,” Glassco said. “Mostly I’ll be listening and learning and figuring out where I can contribute.”

Glassco has served on the TDSB parent involvement advisory committee and the inner-city advisory committee. She’s been active in her community and local parent council.

She has also worked in TDSB elementary schools through the group Friendship in Action, teaching children empathy, communication and social skills.

Glassco believes she can help in the areas of governance and communication. “I want to be able to facilitate conversation happening in the community. We have a number of issues that need a lot of focus and attention.”

Born in Toronto, Glassco lived in England for 20 years where she worked as a writer and actress. She returned to Canada about 10 years ago.

She said she and other Ward 10 parents were surprised by Bolton’s sudden resignation. She described him as a “good trustee.”

“If we needed information from the board he brought down experts. He was always accessible. He had a good track record with his constituents.”

Bolton resigned in June after a controversy arose over the board’s partnership with the Confucius Institute, a non-profit institution connected with the Chinese government.

The board had hoped to use student teachers from the institute to help teach after-school heritage language and culture programs, and to help classroom teachers enrich their teaching about China.

The school board has delayed implementation of the deal — originally approved by the board in 2010 — until staff can investigate and bring back more information.

Glassco said she doesn’t know enough about the Confucius Institute or the deal to comment on the ongoing controversy.

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com